Level wind for spooling drum

ABSTRACT

A level wind apparatus for use in cooperation with a spooling drum to wind the cable evenly across the drum core. The level wind apparatus has a sheave mounted for axial movement along a bar of rectangular cross section while turning about its axis. The sheave has a plurality of supporting bearings in contact with the bar. The bar is eccentrically mounted in the manner standard for this type of apparatus.

o limited States Patent [151 dmmw Stewart Mar. 2%, 11972 541 LEVEL WINDFOR SPOOLING DRUM 3,083,932 4/1963 Crowley et a1 ..242/157.| [72]Inventor: Faye H. Stewart, Eugene g 3,122,341 2/1964 Le Bus, Sr. et a1..242/157.1 [73] Assignee: Bohemia Lumber Company, Incorporated, FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Eugene, g 97,531 3/1961 Netherlands ..242/157.1

F'l 197 [22] 1 ed June 0 Primary ExaminerStanley N. Gilreath [21] Appl.No.2 48,263 Attorney-Seed, Berry & Dowrey 57 ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl..242/l57.l 1 51 5 57 14, 3 51 57 23 A level wind apparatus for use incooperation with a spooling [58] Field of Search ..242/ 157.1 drum Windthe cable evenly 3910551116 drum 90% level wind apparatus has a sheavemounted for axial movement 56] References Cited along a bar ofrectangular cross section while turning about its axis. The sheave has aplurality of supporting bearings in con- UNITED STATES PATENTS tact withthe bar. The bar is eccentrically mounted in the manner standard forthis type of apparatus. 3,206,139 9/1965 Smith et a1 ..242/l57.l

2,387,245 10/1945 Davidson et al. ..242/157.l

5 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures "TENTEDMAR28 :erz 3. 652,029

" sum 1 or 2 F1IG==5 F1IG== FIG==7 F1IG=4 INVENTOR. FAVE H. STEWARTATTORNEYS PATENTEnmza m2 3,652,029

sum 2 or 2 INVENTOR. FAYE H STEWART ATTORNEYS LEVEL WIND FOR SPOOLINGDRUM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvementsin cable spooling apparatus and more particularly but not by way oflimitation to a cable reeving, automatic compensator apparatus. Theapparatus or level wind mechanism is particularly designed andconstructed for compensating for and correcting the fleet angle of thecable, when the fleet angle of the cable winding onto or off of the drumis a detriment to the even spooling of the cable. The apparatus enablesthe cable to be spooled onto the drum efficiently and evenly withoutdistortion or tangling of the cable during the winding operation.Apparatus of the type described is fully disclosed in US. Pat. No.3,083,932, granted Apr. 2, 1963.

One of the difficulties with currently available level wind apparatusesis that under the pressures to which they are subjected and the rate ofcable movement during operation, the bearings which allow the sheave tomove along the shaft cannot be retained in place. In a typical loggingoperation the cable would carry in the vicinity of tons and in a balloonlogging operation be subjected to pressures of to 12 tons and a cablemovement of about 1,500 lineal feet per minute. Under these conditionsthe sheave would be operating under extreme stress and the movementalong the shaft would be very rapid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fleet anglecompensating apparatus wherein there is included a novel floating sheavemounted upon an eccentric rectangular shaft, said mounting beingactually frictionless allowing ready movement of the sheave along theshaft.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel sheaveconstruction which, in cooperation with a square bar, is not onlyfrictionless but also of sufficient structural integrity to withstandthe forces inherent in such an operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evidenced from thefollowing detailed description read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate out invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of thefleet angle compensator or level wind apparatus embodying the inventionand depicted in combination with a cable spooling drum and fixedfairlead;

FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 are end views of the fleet angle compensator duringthree of the positions which will be assumed in operation;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are plan views of the fleet compensator correspondingrespectively to FIGS 2, 3 and 4;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the fleet angle compensator in one possibleenvironment;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the fleet angle compensator with portionsof the sheave and mounting means in section showing details of theinternal structure; and

FIG. 10 is a view along lines 1010 of FIG. 9 further indicatingstructural details of the sheave mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS As seen in FIG. 1, the inventionrelates to cable spooling wherein the cable is wrapped about a drum 2.It is desireable to have the wrap extend around the drum core fromflange to flange in even layers. To accomplish the even wrap,there isincluded a compensator apparatus or level wind denoted generally byreference numeral 4 located in a position spaced from the drum 2. Thelocation of the level wind is such that it will, through automaticoperation, present cable to the drum at an angle of approximately 90 tothe axis of the drum. Since the cable itself will normally be fed to andfrom a location which will be divergent, such as when used in loggingoperations and the cable extends to various portions of the area beinglogged or when used on a boom and the boom swings or raises and lowers,there is provided a fairlead 6 of standard construction to guide thecable to a sheave 8 mounted on a bar 10 of the level wind apparatus froma relatively stable uniform direction eliminating the divergent angle.Since the fairlead 6 will often be located in close proximity to thedrum it, being fixed, will present an excessive fleet angle to the drumrequiring a compensating or level wind apparatus.

Reference is now made collectively to FIGS. 2-7 which show respectivelythe top and end views of the level wind apparatus during therepresentative stages of its operation, it is to be understood that theother stages would be intermediate of the stages shown. It can be seenthat FIG. 2 which corresponds to FIG. 5, the sheave 8 which is designedto slidably move along the bar 10 of the level wind apparatus is at itsleftwardmost position with reference to FIG. ll. When the sheave islocated at this position, the cable would be wrapped about the left-handend of the drum 2. As the drum continues to wrap the cable, the sheave 8would move to the central position as seen in FIGS. 3 and 6 and thenmove automatically with the wrapping action to the right-hand end of thedrum 2, reference again being had to FIG. 1 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.This wrap and accompanying movement of the sheave will move back andforth until the cable is wrapped.

It is to be understood that this movement of the sheave 8 along the bar10 is inherently automatic and is a function of the design of the levelwind apparatus. The configuration of the level wind apparatus in thebroad sense, wherein the sheave carrying element is mounted with eachend of the sheave supporting apparatus, is offset on opposite sides ofthe axes of rotation is known as shown by US Pat. No. 3,083,932 notedabove. It is the mounting of the shaft for a reciprocating motion aboutsupport means which causes the moveable sheave 8 to advance axiallyalong the shaft or bar in response to cable pressure which accomplishesthe level wind itself.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 8, it can be seen that the drum 2 ismounted within a framework 12 and the level wind apparatus having anaxially moveable sheave 8 and a shaft or bar 10 are likewise mountedwithin the framework 12. Cable 14 passes over the moveable sheave 8 andthen is wrapped in a level fashion upon the drum 2. Further to be notedwith regard to FIG. 8 is that to prevent dirt or other contaminants fromgetting to the specific sheave mechanism which will be hereinafterdescribed, there is an accordion-like sleeve 15 attached to the hub ofthe sheave and secured at the ends of the rod which expands or contractsas the sheave moves along the bar 10 thus continuously keeping theentire interior mechanism of the sheave and the bar or shaft upon whichit is mounted in as clean a condition as possible.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 9 and 10, it can be seen that thelevel wind mechanism comprises a square bar 10 of sufficient length toallow the sheave 8 to direct the cable completely across the width ofthe drum, not shown. The bar has machined on each of its ends a T-blockor extension 16 which, as can been seen in FIG. 10, is oriented with itsedges at an angle to the sides of the bar 10. The orientation of the T-blocks is to impart the desired motion to the mechanism. Each of theT-blocks l6 fit within a housing or arm 18 and are held in properposition within the slotted housing by an adjusting screw 20. At theopposite end of the slotted housing 18 which serves to offset the bar 10from the axes of rotation there is a pillow block 22 and an appropriatebearing housing or support 24 by which means the level wind will bemounted to a framework or other appropriate relatively fixed apparatus.

The sheave is mounted for axial movement along a square bar as opposedto the conventional round rod and the elements of the sheave will not bespecifically described. FIG. 10 depicts the sheave as it would beoriented when located in position centrally of the bar 10, similar tothat shown in FIG. 9. It is to be noted that the sheave has a pluralityof bearings which allow it to move freely along the bar 10 and that inthe position shown the sheave has a single bearing 26 and 28 in contactwith each surface of the square bar 10 at the lower portion and a pairof bearings 30 and 32 mounted to contact each flat surface of the upperportion of the bar 10 whereat the greatest amount of stress will beapplied. The combination of placing the double bearings 30, 32 wherethey will ride on top of the bar when the sheave is in the centralposition as described above and the particular angle at which theT-block is machined to the bar 10 allows the sheave to operate in such amanner that one pair of bearings 30, 32 will always ride against theuppermost portion of the bar 10 carrying the greatest amount of stressand weight.

It is to be understood that single bearings 26 and 28 serve the purposeof retaining the sheave in proper position upon the bar and provide arelatively frictionless guide but are not designed to carry as greatamount of weight as the pairs of bearings 30, 32.

Looking now at FIG. 9, it can be seen that the bearings hereinabovedescribed are mounted axially outwardly of the sheave but directlyconnected to the two piece hub 34. The hub 34 has flanges 36 whichextend outwardly and serve to lock bearing cage 38 in position. Further,to secure the bearings 39 to the sheave are a pair of circular retainingplates 40, 42 fastened to the cable guiding portion 44 of the sheave.

It will be understood that bearings 26, 28, 30 and 32 serve to provideeasy movement of the sheave structure along the bar 10 and the bearings39 provide frictionless rotational movement ofthe sheave about the bar10.

The use of the square bar and the bearings placed such that structuralstrength is provided only at those portions where it is needed result ina structure of far greater life expectancy, ease of assembly andrelatively low manufacturing cost.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A level wind spooling drum comprising;

a pair of supports mounted in close proximity to the drum along a lineapproximately parallel thereto,

an arm pivotally mounted to each of the support,

rectangular shaft means fixedly mounted between the arms,

sleeve means mounted upon a plurality or roller bearings in rollingcontact with the sides of the shaft means for relatively frictionlesslinear movement of the sleeve means along said shaft means, and

sheave means mounted for rotation upon the sleeve means whereby thesheave means will rotate about the sleeve means as said sleeve meansmoves along the shaft means.

2. A level wind as in claim 1 wherein the shaft means is mounted betweenthe arms by means of linear extensions of the shaft means.

3. A level wind as in claim 2 wherein the extensions are rectangular andhave sides which are angularly offset from the sides of the shaft meansbut extend in the same direction.

4. A level wind as in claim 1 wherein the sleeve means has a pluralityof bearings mounted upon a pair of adjacent sides of said shaft means.

5. A level wind as in claim 4 wherein the sleeve means is mounted uponthe shaft means and the shaft means restricted in movement such that oneof the sides having a plurality of bearings remains upon the uppermostside of the shaft means whereat it is in the position of greatest stressduring operation.

1. A level wind spooling drum comprising; a pair of supports mounted inclose proximity to the drum along a line approximately parallel thereto,an arm pivotally mounted to each of the support, rectangular shaft meansfixedly mounted between the arms, sleeve means mounted upon a pluralityor roller bearings in rolling contact with the sides of the shaft meansfor relatively frictionless linear movement of the sleeve means alongsaid shaft means, and sheave means mounted for rotation upon the sleevemeans whereby the sheave means will rotate about the sleeve means assaid sleeve means moves along the shaft means.
 2. A level wind as inclaim 1 wherein the shaft means is mounted between the arms by means oflinear extensions of the shaft means.
 3. A level wind as in claim 2wherein the extensions are rectangular and have sides which areangularly offset from the sides of the shaft means but extend in thesame direction.
 4. A level wind as in claim 1 wherein the sleeve meanshas a Plurality of bearings mounted upon a pair of adjacent sides ofsaid shaft means.
 5. A level wind as in claim 4 wherein the sleeve meansis mounted upon the shaft means and the shaft means restricted inmovement such that one of the sides having a plurality of bearingsremains upon the uppermost side of the shaft means whereat it is in theposition of greatest stress during operation.